Find Large Messages

Our tool for migrating from Microsoft Exchange to Google will not allow the moving of messages larger than 25MB. Messages larger than 25MB usually contain large attachments, such as photos, PowerPoint files or PDFs. For this reason, prior to the Google migration on Dec. 21st, you should find your large messages in Exchange and save any attachments that you need to keep.

Outlook 2010 using Search Folders

These instructions walk you through using Outlook 2010 special Search Folders to help you locate large mail messages.

Open Outlook 2010 on a Windows machine.

Click to expand Search Folders,and select Large Mail.

The Search Folders item may be located near the bottom of the Navigation Pane.

This will display your messages grouped by size into sections labeled Enormous, Huge, Very Large, and Large.

If the groupings are not visible, right-click on any column label (such as Subject) and ensure that Show in Groups is selected.

If the Size column and/or In Folder column are not visible, right-click on any column label (such as Subject) and click View Settings....

Click the Column button and add Size and In Folder to the right-hand column.

Note that these columns must be high enough in the list to appear in the maximum number of lines you have set for compact mode. Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons as needed.

3. Expand the Enormous section and sort the messages by Size.

4. Review all messages that are larger than 25MB. Save any attachments that you need and print any messages.

Outlook 2010 using Mailbox Cleanup

3. In the Mailbox Cleanup screen, locate the second panel and click Find.

The screen allows you to raise the default kilobyte size limit to a maximum of 9999 kilobytes (9.8 MB). This step is optional.

4. Once the list of files has populated, expand the Size column and click the top of the column to sort by size.

It may be necessary to scroll back to the top of the list to see all items.

5. Click list items to open and review all messages that are larger than 25MB. Save any attachments that you need and print any messages.

Mac Outlook 2011

These instructions walk you through the process of building a Custom Arrangement in Outlook 2011 of your messages based on size. This custom arrangement will display messages from all your mail folders, which prevents you from having to look in each mail folder.

To use the Custom Arrangement, click the Arrange by drop-down, point to Custom Arrangements, Large Mail (or the name you used in step seven). This displays all your messages in sections labeled Enormous, Huge, Very Large, Large, Medium and Small.

Expand the Enormous section and review the Size of each message. You may need to display the size column by right mouse clicking on the mailbox header row and selecting Size.

Find Contact Groups

In Exchange, you may have created contact groups, or personal email groups. These cannot be automatically migrated to Google, so if you want to recreate these groups in Google, you will have to find the groups and print out a membership list.